Effect of the root extract of Pueraria thunbergiana Bentham on high fat/high sucrose diet and single low-dose streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice

Objectives : This study was performed to investigate the effect of root extract of Pueraria thunbergiana Bentham (Puerariae Radix, PR) in diabetic mice as similar as emaciation-thirst disease in Oriental medicine. Methods : C57BL/6 mice were fed high fat (HF) and high sucrose (HS) for 8 weeks, and then administrated with 90 mg/kg body weight (bw) of streptozotocin (STZ) for induction of diabetes which is similar to the middle emaciation stage. After 5 days, blood glucose levels were measured, and selected the mice with ranges above $250mg/d{\ell}$. PR water extract was administrated orally once a day for 4 weeks with high fat and high sucrose. The levels of glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, ${\gamma}glutamyl$ transpeptidase (${\gamma}GTP$), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) were analysed in the serum. Also, observed their histological changes by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) of different organs, lung, heart, pancreas, stomach, liver, and kidney. Results : PR extract significantly decreased the levels of serum glucose and insulin in diabetic mice. PR extract significantly increased the levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, GOT and GPT in diabetic mice. In H&E stain, PR extract inhibited the histopathological changes of lung (as a channel of the upper emaciation stage in the channel-tropism theory), pancreas (as a channel of the middle emaciation stage) and kidney (as a channel of the lower emaciation stage) in diabetic damage. Conclusions : PR extract has an anti-diabetic effect in HF/HS and low-dose STZ-induced diabetic mice. This result suggests that PR follows the channel-tropism theory in the emaciation-thirst disease through the protection of lung, pancreas and kidney.

갈근이 고지방·고탄수화물식이와 저용량 streptozotocin-유도 당뇨병 마우스에 미치는 효능 연구